I voted other because I think that they can be dagerous if the person using it does not know what they are doing . almost every bad story about them I have heard starts with a group of teenagers just deciding to play with one . I had a creepy experiance the first time I used one { as a teenager just playing around with one } I learned more about how to use it and have had no problem since .
Blessings
Ivye

As far as Ouija or other Spirit-Talk Boards are concerned, my only comment is this:

If you are alone in your house and it is 3:00 a.m. in the morning, and someone bangs on your door.....you look out the peephole and it's some dark shadowy person that you don't know, peering back you asking you to let him in....do you just open the door and say, "sure, come on in...can I get you a cup of coffee?"

Uhhh...I don't know what part of the nation you're from, but in my house, that just wouldn't be happening. :blink:

So, when you are willingly "opening the door" to whoever might be standing around waiting to come in, you have allowed control to be given to THEM and not to you. Sometimes nothing bad will happen, but remember that you have no control now over who does...or doesn't come through via the board.

We've had lots of calls & emails from people wanting us to come to their house and take care of apparent Paranormal ISSUES that they've had after using a Ouija Board. Many of them believe that the Ouija board caused it, and that was true in some cases but not all.

Spirits are around enough that you can get better and safer results asking questions via a tape recorder and a microphone.

If you go to some websites, they will tell you that a Mr. Fuld made the oujia board... however, a certain Elijah Bond sold it to him... but that is not all.

Talking Boards have been around since 551 BC! Used by the Chinese, but soon taken out of there culture our of FEAR of hostile spirits.

About 540 BC, it is said that Pythagorus used a similar device during seances to contact the spirits. In fact, throughout history there are periodical mentions of the magic board, including use of it by the Romans in the Third Century A.D. and the Mongols in the Thirteenth Century. In the mid eighteen hundreds, Europe and used a planchette for automatic writing!

Then, it was brought to America by gypsies, who had "Tapping Boards", almost like ghosts talking with there own morse code. So as you can see there is really quite a history BEFORE parker brothers.

Interests:History, all things paranormal &amp; macabre, good music, good friends, art, a few drinks...but most of all my amazing son.

Posted 28 March 2005 - 02:13 AM

Please note that dangerous does not necessarily mean evil.

EXACTLY what I was going to say. A Ouija board is just a board. Nothing more. But used improperly it can be a tool to really mess you up. Whether or not the "thing" that messes you up is a spirit or your subconcious isn't known for sure, and really is irrelevant. The point is that if you use it wrong, you could get hurt. Same thing with a gun, a car, alcohol, blender, butter knife or just about any other object!

And fwiw, I don't for a second believe Ouija boards are evil. If you are open to fear, doubt, and allow yourself to feel vulnerable, then you'll probably have a bad experience with it. It's self-fulfilling prophecy. If you use it in a clear, positive, respectful manner and have the mentality to remain in control of your emotions and thoughts then you'll probably have a great time with it.

I dont believe the mass produced, comercially sold ones are useful. I have known people to make their own Oija from an old tree stump with shocking results (I dont not wish to go into detail about). I believe they are capable of opening portals and you cannot (no matter how arrogant you are) control what comes through. Closing them is entirely different matter all together as well. I do believe they are dangerous reguardless of who has them. (of course I am not speaking on the Milton Bradley variety)

I'm just a very well-paid juvenile delinquent -Al Jorgensen of MinistryIf we moved in next door your lawn would die -Lemmy of MotorheadThe only reason we wore sunglasses onstage was because we couldn't stand the sight of the audience - John Cale of The Velvet Underground--------------------------------------------------http://fotofight.com...um_home/Dewlso/--------------------------------------------------

Okay, I see what everyone is saying. And may I say that Grendel and Yankee make a good point. I think the seriousness of the ouija board stopped as the Europeans using the writing planchette (see above post by me), and when Gypsies took them to here they sort of... well... became, like Yankee and Grendel say, "un"dangerous.

However, there are still ones that seem like that are MUCH more then that. I have had many stories about my mother's experiences with ouija boards, and that is why she never let me get one. However, even after SOME of the posts, I still feel that I just better not mess with it.

On my website I have a little section that pertains to Ouija Boards. It has a few facts, along with my opinions. Feel free to read it at www.parapsychology.ca and let me know what you think.

But let me state this here...

The only reason the Ouija Board is so often discussed in forums like this, is because its the most readily available form of spiritual communication of the market today. Anyone can go into a ToysRus and buy one. But make no mistake about it, if parker brothers were marketing cookies as a way to communicate with the dead, we would be discussing cookies instead. :rolleyes:

That being said...

<The board itself is "NOT" dangerous, its a piece of cardboard with a plastic pointer, but spiritual communication "CAN BE".>

I've actually ordered a hand made board, and will be experimenting with it soon enough. I'm still trying to gather information on how to safely communicate with the dead.

Vamp! I read that too, and it was hilarious. Today was definitely ouija board day in the comics...here's today's Foxtrot. Interesting how similar they are, eh?:

"What is wanted is not the will to believe, but the will to find out, which is the exact opposite."Bertrand Russell"You're going to go to McDonald's... you'll order an Egg McMuffin and some coffee... WAIT! They're going to forget your extra salt! Remind them to give you salt, please!!"Ed Closser, Trivial Psychic

"What is wanted is not the will to believe, but the will to find out, which is the exact opposite."Bertrand Russell"You're going to go to McDonald's... you'll order an Egg McMuffin and some coffee... WAIT! They're going to forget your extra salt! Remind them to give you salt, please!!"Ed Closser, Trivial Psychic

I said they are dangerous no matter who uses them. I've heard alot of possesions & hauntings that started with the ouiji board. The movie "The Excorcist: The Version You Where Never Ment To See" was based on a true story & it started with 12 year old boy who tried to use the Ouiji board to contact his dead aunt or grandmother. I think that the Ouiji board should never be played around with unless you are an experienced proffesional in voodoo, shaman or under any kind of phsycic or spirtual protection because the results are unpredictable & you never know what will come up.

An example of the results is when some teen age girls had a slumber party & they where playing with the ouiji board & the results where something like this

Girls: whats your name
Board: (gave its name)
(conversation goes on for a little while)
Girls: Where are you?
Board: In the attic
(footsteps & banging heard from the attic)
(Girls get scared & put the board away & go to sleep)
(Next morning they go to the same room only to relize that one of thier friends is gone so they get the ouiji board)
Girls: Are you still their?
Board: Yes
Girls: (Ask if the entity took their friend)
Board: Yes
Girls: Where is she?!?
Board: (after a short pause) With me
(The girl was never seen again & thats about all i know)